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<a id='L1' name='L1'></a>GNU Midnight Commander
<a id='L2' name='L2'></a>Frequently Asked Questions
<a id='L3' name='L3'></a> 
<a id='L4' name='L4'></a>   The newest version of this document is available at
<a id='L5' name='L5'></a>   http://www.midnight-commander.org/browser/doc/FAQ
<a id='L6' name='L6'></a> 
<a id='L7' name='L7'></a>     * 1 Getting started
<a id='L8' name='L8'></a>          + 1.1 What is Midnight Commander?
<a id='L9' name='L9'></a>          + 1.2 Does it run on my machine?
<a id='L10' name='L10'></a>          + 1.3 Does it work with my terminal?
<a id='L11' name='L11'></a>          + 1.4 What else do I need to run MC?
<a id='L12' name='L12'></a>          + 1.5 Is GNU Midnight Commander Public Domain?  Copyrighted?
<a id='L13' name='L13'></a>          + 1.6 Where can I get GNU Midnight Commander?
<a id='L14' name='L14'></a>          + 1.7 I cannot compile MC.  What should I do?
<a id='L15' name='L15'></a> 
<a id='L16' name='L16'></a>     * 2 Keyboard
<a id='L17' name='L17'></a>          + 2.1 What does documentation mean with the C-?, M-? and F?
<a id='L18' name='L18'></a>            keys?
<a id='L19' name='L19'></a>          + 2.2 Why don't function keys (or some other key) work?
<a id='L20' name='L20'></a>          + 2.3 How do I use function keys F11 to F20?
<a id='L21' name='L21'></a>          + 2.4 Why does the ESC key behave funny?
<a id='L22' name='L22'></a>          + 2.5 How can I add the plus sign (+) on the command line?
<a id='L23' name='L23'></a>          + 2.6 C-o doesn't work!
<a id='L24' name='L24'></a>          + 2.7 What 'keys' are the "a1" and "c1" keys mentioned in the
<a id='L25' name='L25'></a>            manual?
<a id='L26' name='L26'></a>          + 2.8 How do I change the key bindings?
<a id='L27' name='L27'></a> 
<a id='L28' name='L28'></a>     * 3 Mouse
<a id='L29' name='L29'></a>          + 3.1 How do I enable mouse support?
<a id='L30' name='L30'></a>          + 3.2 How do I cut and paste text with mouse?
<a id='L31' name='L31'></a>          + 3.3 How do I get the extension dependent pop-up menu to
<a id='L32' name='L32'></a>            pop up?
<a id='L33' name='L33'></a> 
<a id='L34' name='L34'></a>     * 4 Display
<a id='L35' name='L35'></a>          + 4.1 Why do I keep getting "Terminal not powerful enough for
<a id='L36' name='L36'></a>            SLang" or "Terminal not powerful enough for SLsmg"?
<a id='L37' name='L37'></a>          + 4.2 Why don't line drawing characters work?
<a id='L38' name='L38'></a>          + 4.3 Can one use latin-1 characters without losing the lines?
<a id='L39' name='L39'></a>          + 4.4 I have problems with entering/viewing national
<a id='L40' name='L40'></a>            characters!
<a id='L41' name='L41'></a>          + 4.5 How can I get colors?
<a id='L42' name='L42'></a>          + 4.6 My color_xterm goes completely (or partially) black!
<a id='L43' name='L43'></a>          + 4.7 Where can I get xterm or rxvt?
<a id='L44' name='L44'></a>          + 4.8 I got colors working with MC but the other programs
<a id='L45' name='L45'></a>            don't work at all anymore!
<a id='L46' name='L46'></a>          + 4.9 Why are there both terminfo and termcap?  Wouldn't one
<a id='L47' name='L47'></a>            database be enough?
<a id='L48' name='L48'></a> 
<a id='L49' name='L49'></a>     * 5 Graphical user interface
<a id='L50' name='L50'></a>          + 5.1 Xview, Tk and Gnome editions?
<a id='L51' name='L51'></a>          + 5.2 Why is MC linked with X libraries?
<a id='L52' name='L52'></a> 
<a id='L53' name='L53'></a>     * 6 Command line problems
<a id='L54' name='L54'></a>          + 6.1 How do I stay in the last directory when I exit Midnight
<a id='L55' name='L55'></a>            Commander?
<a id='L56' name='L56'></a>          + 6.2 How can I access command line history?
<a id='L57' name='L57'></a>          + 6.3 How can I complete commands, file names, variable names
<a id='L58' name='L58'></a>            and so on?
<a id='L59' name='L59'></a>          + 6.4 I am using ksh.  Can I use functions defined in the
<a id='L60' name='L60'></a>            .kshrc within MC?
<a id='L61' name='L61'></a>          + 6.5 Is there any way to include additional options or hot
<a id='L62' name='L62'></a>            keys to MC?
<a id='L63' name='L63'></a>          + 6.6 When I use Ctrl-O I don't get a subshell.  How do I fix
<a id='L64' name='L64'></a>            this?
<a id='L65' name='L65'></a>          + 6.7 Ctrl-O doesn't work at all.  What happens?
<a id='L66' name='L66'></a> 
<a id='L67' name='L67'></a>     * 7 Virtual file systems
<a id='L68' name='L68'></a>          + 7.1 How can I see the contents of a tar archive?
<a id='L69' name='L69'></a>          + 7.2 How do I get out of a tar archive?
<a id='L70' name='L70'></a>          + 7.3 How do I do anonymous ftp with MC?
<a id='L71' name='L71'></a>          + 7.4 How do I do non-anonymous ftp with MC?
<a id='L72' name='L72'></a>          + 7.5 How do I close an ftp connection?
<a id='L73' name='L73'></a>          + 7.6 Why aren't the contents of ftp panel updated?
<a id='L74' name='L74'></a>          + 7.7 What kind of proxy server works with Midnight Commander?
<a id='L75' name='L75'></a> 
<a id='L76' name='L76'></a>     * 8 Internal editor
<a id='L77' name='L77'></a>          + 8.1 When I try pasting to the internal editor, it indents
<a id='L78' name='L78'></a>            the amount of indenting increases with each line!
<a id='L79' name='L79'></a>          + 8.2 Is it possible to use Colorer for syntax highlighting?
<a id='L80' name='L80'></a> 
<a id='L81' name='L81'></a>     * 9 Other common problems
<a id='L82' name='L82'></a>          + 9.1 Is there any way to 'bookmark' favorite ftp-fs links?
<a id='L83' name='L83'></a>          + 9.2 When I start Midnight Commander, nothing happens!
<a id='L84' name='L84'></a> 
<a id='L85' name='L85'></a>     * 10 Development
<a id='L86' name='L86'></a>          + 10.1 Who has written Midnight Commander?
<a id='L87' name='L87'></a>          + 10.2 Do I dare to use a development version?
<a id='L88' name='L88'></a>          + 10.3 How can I report a bug/request for a feature?
<a id='L89' name='L89'></a>          + 10.4 How can I join the development?
<a id='L90' name='L90'></a> 
<a id='L91' name='L91'></a>     * 11 More information
<a id='L92' name='L92'></a>          + 11.1 This document didn't answer my question.  Where else
<a id='L93' name='L93'></a>            can I look for an answer?
<a id='L94' name='L94'></a>          + 11.2 What mailing lists are there for Midnight Commander?
<a id='L95' name='L95'></a>          + 11.3 Where should I look on the World Wide Web for MC stuff?
<a id='L96' name='L96'></a>          + 11.4 Are the mailing lists archived anywhere?
<a id='L97' name='L97'></a> 
<a id='L98' name='L98'></a>     * 12 Legal issues
<a id='L99' name='L99'></a>          + 12.1 Authorship
<a id='L100' name='L100'></a>          + 12.2 Feedback is invited
<a id='L101' name='L101'></a>          + 12.3 Disclaimer and copyright
<a id='L102' name='L102'></a> 
<a id='L103' name='L103'></a> 
<a id='L104' name='L104'></a>1 Getting started
<a id='L105' name='L105'></a> 
<a id='L106' name='L106'></a>1.1 What is Midnight Commander?
<a id='L107' name='L107'></a> 
<a id='L108' name='L108'></a>   GNU Midnight Commander is a user-friendly yet powerful file manager
<a id='L109' name='L109'></a>   and visual shell, useful to novice and guru alike.  It provides a
<a id='L110' name='L110'></a>   clear, user-friendly, and somewhat protected interface to a Unix
<a id='L111' name='L111'></a>   system while making many frequent file operations more efficient and
<a id='L112' name='L112'></a>   preserving the full power of the command prompt.  After some
<a id='L113' name='L113'></a>   practice, you will wonder how you could ever live without it.
<a id='L114' name='L114'></a> 
<a id='L115' name='L115'></a>1.2 Does it run on my machine?
<a id='L116' name='L116'></a> 
<a id='L117' name='L117'></a>   GNU Midnight Commander runs on POSIX (Unix-like) operating systems,
<a id='L118' name='L118'></a>   such as GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS X, Solaris, HP-UX and others.  It
<a id='L119' name='L119'></a>   can also be compiled under Cygwin on Windows.
<a id='L120' name='L120'></a> 
<a id='L121' name='L121'></a>   GNU Midnight Commander uses GNU Autoconf which should automatically
<a id='L122' name='L122'></a>   configure it for every Unix clone.  Following configurations have
<a id='L123' name='L123'></a>   been tested in the past (this list is very old):
<a id='L124' name='L124'></a> 
<a id='L125' name='L125'></a>     * i386-*-linux1.x, 2.x
<a id='L126' name='L126'></a>     * alpha-linux-linux2
<a id='L127' name='L127'></a>     * sparc-linux-linux2.x
<a id='L128' name='L128'></a>     * sparc64-linux-linux2.1
<a id='L129' name='L129'></a>     * mips-sgi-irix5.x, 6.x
<a id='L130' name='L130'></a>     * sparc-sun-sunos4.1
<a id='L131' name='L131'></a>     * sparc-sun-solaris2.3, 2.4, 2.5
<a id='L132' name='L132'></a>     * sparc-sun-netbsd1.0
<a id='L133' name='L133'></a>     * hppa-hp-hpux9
<a id='L134' name='L134'></a>     * hppa-hp-hpux7
<a id='L135' name='L135'></a>     * m68k-apple-aux
<a id='L136' name='L136'></a>     * unixware
<a id='L137' name='L137'></a>     * mc88110-aviion-dgux5.4R2.01
<a id='L138' name='L138'></a>     * i386-*-sco3.2v4.2
<a id='L139' name='L139'></a>     * i386-*-sco3.2v5
<a id='L140' name='L140'></a> 
<a id='L141' name='L141'></a>1.3 Does it work with my terminal?
<a id='L142' name='L142'></a> 
<a id='L143' name='L143'></a>   Yes, it does.
<a id='L144' name='L144'></a> 
<a id='L145' name='L145'></a>   Because GNU Midnight Commander is a full screen program it doesn't
<a id='L146' name='L146'></a>   run on dummy terminals but anything more advanced will do (like
<a id='L147' name='L147'></a>   vt100).  If your terminal works with vi, emacs, elm or pine it will
<a id='L148' name='L148'></a>   work with GNU Midnight Commander.
<a id='L149' name='L149'></a> 
<a id='L150' name='L150'></a>1.4 What else do I need to run MC?
<a id='L151' name='L151'></a> 
<a id='L152' name='L152'></a>   You need a POSIX (Unix compatible) operating system.  If you are
<a id='L153' name='L153'></a>   running Windows, use Cygwin.
<a id='L154' name='L154'></a> 
<a id='L155' name='L155'></a>   To compile any edition you need to have glib &gt;= 2.30  installed.
<a id='L156' name='L156'></a>   It's available at https://download.gnome.org/sources/glib/.
<a id='L157' name='L157'></a> 
<a id='L158' name='L158'></a>   If you want to use mouse on the Linux console you need the gpm daemon
<a id='L159' name='L159'></a>   from https://www.nico.schottelius.org/software/gpm/.  You need nothing
<a id='L160' name='L160'></a>   extra to use mouse on xterm.
<a id='L161' name='L161'></a> 
<a id='L162' name='L162'></a>   If you do not want to use the S-Lang library you could try using
<a id='L163' name='L163'></a>   ncurses version 4.1 and above.
<a id='L164' name='L164'></a> 
<a id='L165' name='L165'></a>1.5 Is GNU Midnight Commander Public Domain? Copyrighted?
<a id='L166' name='L166'></a> 
<a id='L167' name='L167'></a>   Midnight Commander is under GNU Public License which basically means
<a id='L168' name='L168'></a>   that you may freely copy, change and distribute it, but that you may
<a id='L169' name='L169'></a>   not impose any restrictions on further distribution, and that you
<a id='L170' name='L170'></a>   must make the source code available.  This is not the same as Public
<a id='L171' name='L171'></a>   Domain.  For details, the GNU license is included in GNU Midnight
<a id='L172' name='L172'></a>   Commander source distribution (the COPYING file).
<a id='L173' name='L173'></a> 
<a id='L174' name='L174'></a>   Midnight Commander is now officially a part of the GNU project.
<a id='L175' name='L175'></a>   All the authors of GNU Midnight Commander have given all their rights
<a id='L176' name='L176'></a>   on the program to the Free Software Foundation.
<a id='L177' name='L177'></a> 
<a id='L178' name='L178'></a>1.6 Where can I get GNU Midnight Commander?
<a id='L179' name='L179'></a> 
<a id='L180' name='L180'></a>   The main site is http://www.midnight-commander.org
<a id='L181' name='L181'></a> 
<a id='L182' name='L182'></a>1.7 I cannot compile MC.  What should I do?
<a id='L183' name='L183'></a> 
<a id='L184' name='L184'></a>   Make sure you have read the INSTALL file in the sources.  Report the
<a id='L185' name='L185'></a>   error messages exactly as they appear, mention the versions of your
<a id='L186' name='L186'></a>   OS, your compiler and whatever else software you think is relevant.
<a id='L187' name='L187'></a>   If you have compile problems in the VFS code, try disabling it by
<a id='L188' name='L188'></a>   using "--disable-vfs" option.
<a id='L189' name='L189'></a> 
<a id='L190' name='L190'></a>f2 Keyboard
<a id='L191' name='L191'></a> 
<a id='L192' name='L192'></a>2.1 What does documentation mean with the C-?, M-? and F? keys?
<a id='L193' name='L193'></a> 
<a id='L194' name='L194'></a>   GNU Midnight Commander documentation uses emacs style names for
<a id='L195' name='L195'></a>   keyboard keys.
<a id='L196' name='L196'></a> 
<a id='L197' name='L197'></a>   C stands for the Ctrl key.  For example, C-f means that you should
<a id='L198' name='L198'></a>   hold down the Ctrl key and press the f key.
<a id='L199' name='L199'></a> 
<a id='L200' name='L200'></a>   M stands for the Meta key.  Your terminal might call it Alt or
<a id='L201' name='L201'></a>   Compose instead of Meta.  For example, M-f means that you should hold
<a id='L202' name='L202'></a>   down the Meta/Alt/Compose key and press the f key.  If your terminal
<a id='L203' name='L203'></a>   doesn't have Meta, Alt or Compose or they don't work you can use Esc.
<a id='L204' name='L204'></a>   For M-f press the Esc key and then press the f key.
<a id='L205' name='L205'></a> 
<a id='L206' name='L206'></a>   Sometimes Ctrl and Alt are used instead of C and M for simplicity.
<a id='L207' name='L207'></a>   Keep in mind that Alt can actually be Meta on some keyboards.
<a id='L208' name='L208'></a> 
<a id='L209' name='L209'></a>   F? stands for a function key.  If your terminal doesn't have function
<a id='L210' name='L210'></a>   keys or they don't work you can use Esc.  For example, for F3 press
<a id='L211' name='L211'></a>   the Esc key and then press the 3 key.
<a id='L212' name='L212'></a> 
<a id='L213' name='L213'></a>2.2 Why don't function keys (or some other key) work?
<a id='L214' name='L214'></a> 
<a id='L215' name='L215'></a>   Your terminfo or termcap database has missing or incorrect
<a id='L216' name='L216'></a>   definitions for function keys.  Type "mc -V" to see what terminal
<a id='L217' name='L217'></a>   database is being used.  If the result is "using the S-Lang library
<a id='L218' name='L218'></a>   with terminfo database" and you are using a very old terminfo
<a id='L219' name='L219'></a>   database, consider installing one of the enhanced terminfo files
<a id='L220' name='L220'></a>   included in GNU Midnight Commander source distribution.  For example,
<a id='L221' name='L221'></a>   if you are using xterm type "tic xterm.ti".
<a id='L222' name='L222'></a> 
<a id='L223' name='L223'></a>   If the result is "using the S-Lang library with termcap database" you
<a id='L224' name='L224'></a>   should fix your /etc/termcap database.
<a id='L225' name='L225'></a> 
<a id='L226' name='L226'></a>   Up-to-date termcap and terminfo databases are available here:
<a id='L227' name='L227'></a> 
<a id='L228' name='L228'></a>     http://www.catb.org/~esr/terminfo/
<a id='L229' name='L229'></a>     ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/ncurses/
<a id='L230' name='L230'></a> 
<a id='L231' name='L231'></a>   If you don't have permissions to edit terminal databases you can use
<a id='L232' name='L232'></a>   Learn keys feature of Midnight Commander instead.  Press Esc 9 o k
<a id='L233' name='L233'></a>   and follow instructions.
<a id='L234' name='L234'></a> 
<a id='L235' name='L235'></a>   If all else fails you can emulate function keys by first pressing the
<a id='L236' name='L236'></a>   ESC key and then one of the number keys.  For example, if you want to
<a id='L237' name='L237'></a>   produce F9, press ESC, then 9.  If you don't have a ESC key on your
<a id='L238' name='L238'></a>   keyboard you can try alt-9 or meta-9.
<a id='L239' name='L239'></a> 
<a id='L240' name='L240'></a>2.3 How do I use function keys F11 to F20?
<a id='L241' name='L241'></a> 
<a id='L242' name='L242'></a>   These are normally mapped to function keys F1 to F10 with Shift held,
<a id='L243' name='L243'></a>   e.g. function key F13 can be activated by pressing Shift-F3.  You can
<a id='L244' name='L244'></a>   define the keys this way in the Options-&gt;Learn Keys dialog.  The
<a id='L245' name='L245'></a>   convention for PC keyboards is that F11-20 always means Shift with
<a id='L246' name='L246'></a>   F1-10.
<a id='L247' name='L247'></a> 
<a id='L248' name='L248'></a>   You may find that on the Linux console with some keyboard layouts
<a id='L249' name='L249'></a>   Shift-Fn is interpreted as F(n+12), not as F(n+10).  This is a result
<a id='L250' name='L250'></a>   of non-uniformity of keyboard layouts.  This is not an intended
<a id='L251' name='L251'></a>   behavior and it may be fixed some day.  In the meantime, use "Learn
<a id='L252' name='L252'></a>   Keys" to remedy this inconvenience.
<a id='L253' name='L253'></a> 
<a id='L254' name='L254'></a>2.4 Why does the ESC key behave funny?
<a id='L255' name='L255'></a> 
<a id='L256' name='L256'></a>   Midnight Commander uses the ESC key as a prefix for simulating the
<a id='L257' name='L257'></a>   Meta and Alt keys (for terminals which don't have Meta or Alt, see
<a id='L258' name='L258'></a>   the three previous questions).  For example, pressing ESC-a is the
<a id='L259' name='L259'></a>   same as pressing Meta-a.  In addition most terminals use ESC for
<a id='L260' name='L260'></a>   internal representation of arrow keys, function keys and other
<a id='L261' name='L261'></a>   enhanced keys.  If you want to use ESC to cancel things you have to
<a id='L262' name='L262'></a>   press it twice i.e. ESC-ESC.  If you find this cumbersome you can
<a id='L263' name='L263'></a>   generally use F10 to cancel.  Alternatively turn on the old_esc_mode
<a id='L264' name='L264'></a>   setting in the ~/.config/mc/ini file.  The
<a id='L265' name='L265'></a>   old_esc_mode setting makes ESC work as a prefix only if another key
<a id='L266' name='L266'></a>   is pressed within 0.5 seconds. After 0.5 seconds the ESC key cancels.
<a id='L267' name='L267'></a>   There is no way to make ESC cancel immediately (if we want to be able
<a id='L268' name='L268'></a>   to use arrows keys and function keys).
<a id='L269' name='L269'></a> 
<a id='L270' name='L270'></a>2.5 How can I add the plus sign (+) on the command line?
<a id='L271' name='L271'></a> 
<a id='L272' name='L272'></a>   Press C-q first, then press the + sign.
<a id='L273' name='L273'></a> 
<a id='L274' name='L274'></a>   The plus key is the hotkey for the select files command.  If you want
<a id='L275' name='L275'></a>   to add a literal plus on to the command line you must quote it by
<a id='L276' name='L276'></a>   pressing C-q first.
<a id='L277' name='L277'></a> 
<a id='L278' name='L278'></a>   Another common key which needs the C-q prefix is backslash "\".
<a id='L279' name='L279'></a> 
<a id='L280' name='L280'></a>2.6 C-o doesn't work!
<a id='L281' name='L281'></a> 
<a id='L282' name='L282'></a>   Maybe C-o is a stty control character on your terminal.  See man stty
<a id='L283' name='L283'></a>   for details on how to list and change stty control characters.
<a id='L284' name='L284'></a> 
<a id='L285' name='L285'></a>2.7 What 'keys' are the "a1" and "c1" keys mentioned in the manual?
<a id='L286' name='L286'></a> 
<a id='L287' name='L287'></a>   The "a1" key is the key which has the "a1" caption on it.
<a id='L288' name='L288'></a> 
<a id='L289' name='L289'></a>   The "c1" key is the key which has the "c1" caption on it.
<a id='L290' name='L290'></a> 
<a id='L291' name='L291'></a>   If you have to ask what these two keys are your keyboard hasn't
<a id='L292' name='L292'></a>   probably got them.  Actually, I have never seen a keyboard which has
<a id='L293' name='L293'></a>   got them.
<a id='L294' name='L294'></a> 
<a id='L295' name='L295'></a>2.8 How do I change the key bindings?
<a id='L296' name='L296'></a> 
<a id='L297' name='L297'></a>   Key binding con be reconfigure via keymap files: /etc/mc/mc.keymap
<a id='L298' name='L298'></a>   and ~/.config/mc/mc.keymap.
<a id='L299' name='L299'></a> 
<a id='L300' name='L300'></a>   You can use the "Learn Keys" dialog to assign keys to some actions
<a id='L301' name='L301'></a>   listed in that dialog.
<a id='L302' name='L302'></a> 
<a id='L303' name='L303'></a> 
<a id='L304' name='L304'></a>3 Mouse
<a id='L305' name='L305'></a> 
<a id='L306' name='L306'></a>3.1 How do I enable mouse support?
<a id='L307' name='L307'></a> 
<a id='L308' name='L308'></a>   Invoke mc like this (without quotes): "mc -x".  If this doesn't work
<a id='L309' name='L309'></a>   upgrade to a terminal which compatible with the Xterm mouse
<a id='L310' name='L310'></a>   sequences.
<a id='L311' name='L311'></a> 
<a id='L312' name='L312'></a>   Alternatively, on Linux console you can use gpm.
<a id='L313' name='L313'></a> 
<a id='L314' name='L314'></a>3.2 How do I cut and paste text with mouse?
<a id='L315' name='L315'></a> 
<a id='L316' name='L316'></a>   Hold down shift key while using mouse to cut and paste.
<a id='L317' name='L317'></a> 
<a id='L318' name='L318'></a> 
<a id='L319' name='L319'></a>4 Display
<a id='L320' name='L320'></a> 
<a id='L321' name='L321'></a>4.1 Why do I keep getting "Terminal not powerful enough for SLang" or
<a id='L322' name='L322'></a>    "Terminal not powerful enough for SLsmg"?
<a id='L323' name='L323'></a> 
<a id='L324' name='L324'></a>   This means that your terminfo databases do not contain the correct
<a id='L325' name='L325'></a>   definitions for your terminal.
<a id='L326' name='L326'></a> 
<a id='L327' name='L327'></a>   You could try using a different terminal setting.  If you use csh or
<a id='L328' name='L328'></a>   tcsh:
<a id='L329' name='L329'></a> 
<a id='L330' name='L330'></a>     setenv TERM vt100
<a id='L331' name='L331'></a> 
<a id='L332' name='L332'></a>   or if you use sh, bash, ksh or zsh:
<a id='L333' name='L333'></a> 
<a id='L334' name='L334'></a>     export TERM=vt100
<a id='L335' name='L335'></a> 
<a id='L336' name='L336'></a>4.2 Why don't line drawing characters work?
<a id='L337' name='L337'></a> 
<a id='L338' name='L338'></a>   Since version 4.0.13 there's the command line option -a to force use
<a id='L339' name='L339'></a>   of charaters +, |, - for line drawing.  Use the -a option if any
<a id='L340' name='L340'></a>   of the suggestions below doesn't help.
<a id='L341' name='L341'></a> 
<a id='L342' name='L342'></a>   In general, there are three cases:
<a id='L343' name='L343'></a>     * Lines are shown as ASCII characters like this
<a id='L344' name='L344'></a> 
<a id='L345' name='L345'></a>      +---------+
<a id='L346' name='L346'></a>      |         |
<a id='L347' name='L347'></a>      +---------+
<a id='L348' name='L348'></a> 
<a id='L349' name='L349'></a>       This also happens when you use the -a option.  Other than that
<a id='L350' name='L350'></a>       possible reason is 1 or 2 (see below).
<a id='L351' name='L351'></a> 
<a id='L352' name='L352'></a>     * Lines are shown as lower case characters like this
<a id='L353' name='L353'></a> 
<a id='L354' name='L354'></a>      lqqqqqqqqqk
<a id='L355' name='L355'></a>      x         x
<a id='L356' name='L356'></a>      mqqqqqqqqqj
<a id='L357' name='L357'></a> 
<a id='L358' name='L358'></a>       Possible reason is 1 or 2 (see below).
<a id='L359' name='L359'></a> 
<a id='L360' name='L360'></a>     * Lines are shown as blanks or missing characters.  Possible reason
<a id='L361' name='L361'></a>       is 2 or 3 (see below).
<a id='L362' name='L362'></a> 
<a id='L363' name='L363'></a>   The reason for the problem is one of following:
<a id='L364' name='L364'></a> 
<a id='L365' name='L365'></a>    1. Your terminal might not support line drawing characters.  VT100
<a id='L366' name='L366'></a>       compatible terminals, rxvt and xterm and color_xterm do support
<a id='L367' name='L367'></a>       them.
<a id='L368' name='L368'></a>    2. Your terminfo or termcap database might have missing or incorrect
<a id='L369' name='L369'></a>       definitions for line drawing characters.  Set the acsc variable
<a id='L370' name='L370'></a>       in the terminfo database like this:
<a id='L371' name='L371'></a>       acsc=a\376k\277l\332m\300j\331n\305w\302v\301u\264t\303q\304x
<a id='L372' name='L372'></a>       \263h\2600\333
<a id='L373' name='L373'></a>       Don't forget issue 'tic' command.  This supposes you are using PC
<a id='L374' name='L374'></a>       character set.  The octal values might be different for other
<a id='L375' name='L375'></a>       character sets.  If you are using termcap instead of terminfo,
<a id='L376' name='L376'></a>       you should modify above solution appropriately.
<a id='L377' name='L377'></a>    3. Your terminal font might not support line drawing characters.
<a id='L378' name='L378'></a>       Try changing the font.
<a id='L379' name='L379'></a> 
<a id='L380' name='L380'></a>   Here is Miguel's answer to Torben on this subject.
<a id='L381' name='L381'></a> 
<a id='L382' name='L382'></a>   Torben:
<a id='L383' name='L383'></a> 
<a id='L384' name='L384'></a>     When I load consolefonts/iso01.f16, I get perfectly right national
<a id='L385' name='L385'></a>     characters, but the line drawing characters in mc get wrong.  Is it
<a id='L386' name='L386'></a>     a mc problem, or is it a problem with the font? (I guess it is).
<a id='L387' name='L387'></a> 
<a id='L388' name='L388'></a>     Is there a trick?
<a id='L389' name='L389'></a> 
<a id='L390' name='L390'></a>   Miguel:
<a id='L391' name='L391'></a> 
<a id='L392' name='L392'></a>     First of all, we should determine whether the font has line drawing
<a id='L393' name='L393'></a>     characters or not.
<a id='L394' name='L394'></a> 
<a id='L395' name='L395'></a>     If it has line drawing characters, then a new terminfo entry should
<a id='L396' name='L396'></a>     be written for this specific case.  Let's call this linux-iso01.
<a id='L397' name='L397'></a>     The acsc variable should be modified to reflect which characters
<a id='L398' name='L398'></a>     are used to do the line drawing.
<a id='L399' name='L399'></a> 
<a id='L400' name='L400'></a>     If it does not have line drawing characters, then we should get rid
<a id='L401' name='L401'></a>     of the switch to acsc sequences and make the acsc sequence be just
<a id='L402' name='L402'></a>     a mapping to the ugly +, -, |, - characters.
<a id='L403' name='L403'></a> 
<a id='L404' name='L404'></a>     You can get your terminfo definition by running the infocmp
<a id='L405' name='L405'></a>     program, making the proper changes and running the tic program to
<a id='L406' name='L406'></a>     compile your new terminfo database.
<a id='L407' name='L407'></a> 
<a id='L408' name='L408'></a>4.3 Can one use latin-1 characters without losing the lines?
<a id='L409' name='L409'></a> 
<a id='L410' name='L410'></a>   Yes, you need a correct font and a correct termcap/terminfo database.
<a id='L411' name='L411'></a> 
<a id='L412' name='L412'></a>   For font, if you use xterm try "xterm -fn fixed".
<a id='L413' name='L413'></a> 
<a id='L414' name='L414'></a>   For termcap/terminfo database, change the acsc capability in the
<a id='L415' name='L415'></a>   database.
<a id='L416' name='L416'></a> 
<a id='L417' name='L417'></a>4.4 I have problems with entering/viewing national characters!
<a id='L418' name='L418'></a> 
<a id='L419' name='L419'></a>   From the Options - Display Bits dialog select Full 8 bits or ISO
<a id='L420' name='L420'></a>   8859-1.  In addition, select 8 bit input from the same dialog.
<a id='L421' name='L421'></a> 
<a id='L422' name='L422'></a>4.5 How can I get colors?
<a id='L423' name='L423'></a> 
<a id='L424' name='L424'></a>   Invoke mc like this (without quotes): "mc -c".
<a id='L425' name='L425'></a> 
<a id='L426' name='L426'></a>   If you get colors, be happy.
<a id='L427' name='L427'></a> 
<a id='L428' name='L428'></a>   If your terminal stays black and white, your terminal doesn't support
<a id='L429' name='L429'></a>   color.  You might want to upgrade to a terminal which compatible with
<a id='L430' name='L430'></a>   the ANSI color sequences.
<a id='L431' name='L431'></a> 
<a id='L432' name='L432'></a>   If your terminal goes completely black, see the next question.
<a id='L433' name='L433'></a> 
<a id='L434' name='L434'></a>   More detailed answer:
<a id='L435' name='L435'></a> 
<a id='L436' name='L436'></a>   Check that your terminal supports color.  color_xterm, rxvt and Linux
<a id='L437' name='L437'></a>   console do support, most other terminals don't.  You can test color
<a id='L438' name='L438'></a>   support with following simple C program:
<a id='L439' name='L439'></a> 
<a id='L440' name='L440'></a>    #include &lt;stdio.h&gt;
<a id='L441' name='L441'></a> 
<a id='L442' name='L442'></a>    int main (void){
<a id='L443' name='L443'></a>        printf ("\033[32m Hello world! \033[m\n");
<a id='L444' name='L444'></a>        return 0;
<a id='L445' name='L445'></a>    }
<a id='L446' name='L446'></a> 
<a id='L447' name='L447'></a>   Compile and run it.  If you see "Hello world!" text in green your
<a id='L448' name='L448'></a>   terminal supports color, otherwise not (however, for color_xterm see
<a id='L449' name='L449'></a>   also the next question).
<a id='L450' name='L450'></a> 
<a id='L451' name='L451'></a>   Check whether you are using Ncurses or the S-Lang library (type
<a id='L452' name='L452'></a>   "mc -V" to find out).
<a id='L453' name='L453'></a> 
<a id='L454' name='L454'></a>   With S-Lang library you can force color support by setting the
<a id='L455' name='L455'></a>   environment variable COLORTERM to any value.
<a id='L456' name='L456'></a> 
<a id='L457' name='L457'></a>   If you use ncurses library, check that your terminfo database
<a id='L458' name='L458'></a>   supports color.  If not, you should install one of the enhanced
<a id='L459' name='L459'></a>   terminfo databases included in GNU Midnight Commander source
<a id='L460' name='L460'></a>   distribution.
<a id='L461' name='L461'></a> 
<a id='L462' name='L462'></a>   You might want to set the TERM environment variable so that you are
<a id='L463' name='L463'></a>   using the correct terminfo database or termcap entry.
<a id='L464' name='L464'></a> 
<a id='L465' name='L465'></a>   If you use color_xterm (or rxvt) the correct value might be
<a id='L466' name='L466'></a>   xterm-color, xtermc or simply xterm.
<a id='L467' name='L467'></a> 
<a id='L468' name='L468'></a>   If you use Linux console the correct value for TERM is linux or
<a id='L469' name='L469'></a>   console.
<a id='L470' name='L470'></a> 
<a id='L471' name='L471'></a>4.6 My color_xterm goes completely (or partially) black!
<a id='L472' name='L472'></a> 
<a id='L473' name='L473'></a>   Some color_xterm terminals define all colors as black instead of the
<a id='L474' name='L474'></a>   standard ANSI colors.  This makes them go completely black when you
<a id='L475' name='L475'></a>   try to use Midnight Commander with colors.
<a id='L476' name='L476'></a> 
<a id='L477' name='L477'></a>   You will have to override the defaults.  Create a file
<a id='L478' name='L478'></a>   "color.defaults" which has the following contents:
<a id='L479' name='L479'></a> 
<a id='L480' name='L480'></a>    color_xterm*color0:           Black
<a id='L481' name='L481'></a>    color_xterm*color1:           Red
<a id='L482' name='L482'></a>    color_xterm*color2:           Green
<a id='L483' name='L483'></a>    color_xterm*color3:           Yellow
<a id='L484' name='L484'></a>    color_xterm*color4:           Blue
<a id='L485' name='L485'></a>    color_xterm*color5:           Magenta
<a id='L486' name='L486'></a>    color_xterm*color6:           Cyan
<a id='L487' name='L487'></a>    color_xterm*color7:           White
<a id='L488' name='L488'></a>    color_xterm*background:       White
<a id='L489' name='L489'></a>    color_xterm*foreground:       Black
<a id='L490' name='L490'></a> 
<a id='L491' name='L491'></a>   (replace color_xterm with the name of your color_xterm, color_xterm
<a id='L492' name='L492'></a>   mentions its name in its title bar)
<a id='L493' name='L493'></a> 
<a id='L494' name='L494'></a>   Now type:
<a id='L495' name='L495'></a> 
<a id='L496' name='L496'></a>    xrdb -merge color.defaults
<a id='L497' name='L497'></a> 
<a id='L498' name='L498'></a>   Alternatively you can add the suggested contents of the
<a id='L499' name='L499'></a>   color.defaults file to your .Xdefaults or .Xresources file (or what
<a id='L500' name='L500'></a>   ever the name of your X configuration file is).  Or you can replace
<a id='L501' name='L501'></a>   your non-ANSI color_xterm with an ANSI color_xterm.
<a id='L502' name='L502'></a> 
<a id='L503' name='L503'></a>4.7 Where can I get xterm or rxvt?
<a id='L504' name='L504'></a> 
<a id='L505' name='L505'></a>   xterm is included with the X Window System, so you probably already
<a id='L506' name='L506'></a>   have it if you have X.  This version is not actively maintained, but
<a id='L507' name='L507'></a>   Thomas Dickey maintains his more advanced version of xterm at
<a id='L508' name='L508'></a>   ftp://dickey.his.com/xterm/
<a id='L509' name='L509'></a> 
<a id='L510' name='L510'></a>   rxvt has its own site http://www.rxvt.net/ - get the latest version
<a id='L511' name='L511'></a>   there.
<a id='L512' name='L512'></a> 
<a id='L513' name='L513'></a>4.8 I got colors working with MC but the other programs don't work at
<a id='L514' name='L514'></a>all anymore!
<a id='L515' name='L515'></a> 
<a id='L516' name='L516'></a>   Midnight Commander uses terminfo database (if available) but many
<a id='L517' name='L517'></a>   other programs use termcap database.  If you set the TERM environment
<a id='L518' name='L518'></a>   variable to a value which has no corresponding entry in termcap
<a id='L519' name='L519'></a>   database those programs stop working.  You should add the new value
<a id='L520' name='L520'></a>   of TERM to the termcap database.
<a id='L521' name='L521'></a> 
<a id='L522' name='L522'></a>   Example: If you have set TERM to xterm-color locate from /etc/termcap
<a id='L523' name='L523'></a>   the line which starts:
<a id='L524' name='L524'></a> 
<a id='L525' name='L525'></a>    xterm|vs100|xterm terminal emulator
<a id='L526' name='L526'></a> 
<a id='L527' name='L527'></a>   Change it to start:
<a id='L528' name='L528'></a> 
<a id='L529' name='L529'></a>    xterm|xterm-color|vs100|xterm terminal emulator
<a id='L530' name='L530'></a> 
<a id='L531' name='L531'></a>5 Graphical user interface
<a id='L532' name='L532'></a> 
<a id='L533' name='L533'></a>5.1 Xview, Tk and Gnome editions?
<a id='L534' name='L534'></a> 
<a id='L535' name='L535'></a>   Xview and Tk and GNOME editions have been removed from the sources.
<a id='L536' name='L536'></a> 
<a id='L537' name='L537'></a>5.2 Why is MC linked with X libraries?
<a id='L538' name='L538'></a> 
<a id='L539' name='L539'></a>   GNU Midnight Commander is linked with X libraries to read key
<a id='L540' name='L540'></a>   modifiers from the X Server.  It may be helpful to distinguish
<a id='L541' name='L541'></a>   between keys that the terminal emulator reports in the same way, e.g.
<a id='L542' name='L542'></a>   PgUp and Ctrl-PgUp.  Versions of GNU Midnight Commander after 4.6.0
<a id='L543' name='L543'></a>   will load X libraries dynamically on the systems that support it.
<a id='L544' name='L544'></a> 
<a id='L545' name='L545'></a> 
<a id='L546' name='L546'></a>6 Command line problems
<a id='L547' name='L547'></a> 
<a id='L548' name='L548'></a>6.1 How do I stay in the last directory when I exit Midnight Commander?
<a id='L549' name='L549'></a> 
<a id='L550' name='L550'></a>   See the description of the -P option in the Options section of the
<a id='L551' name='L551'></a>   manual.
<a id='L552' name='L552'></a> 
<a id='L553' name='L553'></a>6.2 How can I access command line history?
<a id='L554' name='L554'></a> 
<a id='L555' name='L555'></a>   Meta-h shows the last commands you executed from the command line.
<a id='L556' name='L556'></a>   Duplicates are suppressed from the history.  Commands executed from
<a id='L557' name='L557'></a>   the subshell prompt are not shown.
<a id='L558' name='L558'></a> 
<a id='L559' name='L559'></a>   You can put previous commands to the command line with Meta-p.  Meta-n
<a id='L560' name='L560'></a>   moves you forward in history.
<a id='L561' name='L561'></a> 
<a id='L562' name='L562'></a>   Since version 4.1.15 all the input widgets have permanent history.
<a id='L563' name='L563'></a>   You can summon the history listbox by pressing M-h.
<a id='L564' name='L564'></a> 
<a id='L565' name='L565'></a>6.3 How can I complete commands, file names, variable names and so on?
<a id='L566' name='L566'></a> 
<a id='L567' name='L567'></a>   Just press M-Tab.  Press M-Tab again to get a listbox if there are
<a id='L568' name='L568'></a>   multiple possible completions.
<a id='L569' name='L569'></a> 
<a id='L570' name='L570'></a>6.4 I am using ksh.  Can I use functions defined in the .kshrc within
<a id='L571' name='L571'></a>MC?
<a id='L572' name='L572'></a> 
<a id='L573' name='L573'></a>   Sorry, MC only supports bash, tcsh and zsh functions.  Ksh functions
<a id='L574' name='L574'></a>   are not supported because ksh lacks the necessary hooks needed for
<a id='L575' name='L575'></a>   subshell integration.
<a id='L576' name='L576'></a> 
<a id='L577' name='L577'></a>   Switch to bash or zsh.  They are both quite compatible with ksh. 
<a id='L578' name='L578'></a>   Your ksh functions should work as such or after minimal changes.
<a id='L579' name='L579'></a> 
<a id='L580' name='L580'></a>6.5 Is there any way to include additional options or hot keys to MC?
<a id='L581' name='L581'></a> 
<a id='L582' name='L582'></a>   Yes, F2 invokes an user menu,  which is fully configurable.  You can
<a id='L583' name='L583'></a>   add any shell commands to the user menu.  See the mc(1) man page for
<a id='L584' name='L584'></a>   more info.
<a id='L585' name='L585'></a> 
<a id='L586' name='L586'></a>   Another way to add functionality is the external panelize feature.
<a id='L587' name='L587'></a>   See the mc(1) man page for more info.
<a id='L588' name='L588'></a> 
<a id='L589' name='L589'></a>   And finally, you can code any feature you want yourself.  MC source
<a id='L590' name='L590'></a>   code is free which means you can change it anyway you want.  There
<a id='L591' name='L591'></a>   are some limitations to make sure MC stays free.  See GNU General
<a id='L592' name='L592'></a>   Public License for details.
<a id='L593' name='L593'></a> 
<a id='L594' name='L594'></a>6.6 When I use Ctrl-O I don't get a subshell.  How do I fix this?
<a id='L595' name='L595'></a> 
<a id='L596' name='L596'></a>   Only bash, tcsh and zsh can be used as subshell.  Use one of those
<a id='L597' name='L597'></a>   shells as your default shell, and it will be used as subshell in GNU
<a id='L598' name='L598'></a>   Midnight Commander.
<a id='L599' name='L599'></a> 
<a id='L600' name='L600'></a>6.7 Ctrl-O doesn't work at all.  What happens?
<a id='L601' name='L601'></a> 
<a id='L602' name='L602'></a>   Ctrl-O works if either the subshell is used or the terminal can save
<a id='L603' name='L603'></a>   the output of the commands so it can be restored.  If neither is
<a id='L604' name='L604'></a>   true, there is absolutely nothing interesting behind the panels!
<a id='L605' name='L605'></a> 
<a id='L606' name='L606'></a>   Only few terminals support screen saving.  It's xterm, rxvt and other
<a id='L607' name='L607'></a>   xterm-like terminals and virtual terminals on Linux and FreeBSD.
<a id='L608' name='L608'></a> 
<a id='L609' name='L609'></a>6.8 Why I see lot of strange 'cd "printf ' lines into my .history file?
<a id='L610' name='L610'></a> 
<a id='L611' name='L611'></a>  Add
<a id='L612' name='L612'></a> 
<a id='L613' name='L613'></a>    export HISTCONTROL="ignoreboth"
<a id='L614' name='L614'></a> 
<a id='L615' name='L615'></a>  into your ~/.profile file (.bash_profile) for avoid this.
<a id='L616' name='L616'></a> 
<a id='L617' name='L617'></a>6.9 I have a problem with Screen which makes using Midnight Commander
<a id='L618' name='L618'></a>problematic. I use Ctrl-O to disable panels. Output of previous commands,
<a id='L619' name='L619'></a>just a clear, screen is blanked.
<a id='L620' name='L620'></a> 
<a id='L621' name='L621'></a>  Update GNU Screen to the last version. This bug was fixed in
<a id='L622' name='L622'></a> 
<a id='L623' name='L623'></a>   commit ad56f746c6243d45124485d198d577bdbb78071c
<a id='L624' name='L624'></a>   Author: Sadrul Habib Chowdhury &lt;sadrul@users.sourceforge.net&gt;
<a id='L625' name='L625'></a>   Date:   Sun Nov 29 23:34:25 2009 -0500
<a id='L626' name='L626'></a> 
<a id='L627' name='L627'></a>       Fix using alternate screen buffers in some cases.
<a id='L628' name='L628'></a> 
<a id='L629' name='L629'></a>       Screen would reset the 'main' screen buffer if an app tries to
<a id='L630' name='L630'></a>       switch to an alternate buffer while it is already using one (in
<a id='L631' name='L631'></a>       other words, sends multiple 'smcup' without an 'rmcup'). This should
<a id='L632' name='L632'></a>       fix debian #558724
<a id='L633' name='L633'></a> 
<a id='L634' name='L634'></a>  (see http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=558724)
<a id='L635' name='L635'></a> 
<a id='L636' name='L636'></a>  or do not rewrite TERM (mustbe TERM=screen) andrun mc as follow:
<a id='L637' name='L637'></a> 
<a id='L638' name='L638'></a>   echo -e '\e[?1000h' &amp;&amp; mc -x
<a id='L639' name='L639'></a> 
<a id='L640' name='L640'></a>7 Virtual file systems
<a id='L641' name='L641'></a> 
<a id='L642' name='L642'></a>7.1 How can I see the contents of a tar archive?
<a id='L643' name='L643'></a> 
<a id='L644' name='L644'></a>   If you use keyboard just move the selection bar on the tar file and
<a id='L645' name='L645'></a>   press enter.  If you use mouse just double-click on the tar file.
<a id='L646' name='L646'></a> 
<a id='L647' name='L647'></a>   The recognized suffixes for tar archives are .tar, .tar.gz and .tgz.
<a id='L648' name='L648'></a>   You can also enter a tar archive by typing "cd filename/utar://" where
<a id='L649' name='L649'></a>   filename is the name of the archive.  In this case, the suffix is not
<a id='L650' name='L650'></a>   important.
<a id='L651' name='L651'></a> 
<a id='L652' name='L652'></a>7.2 How do I get out of a tar archive?
<a id='L653' name='L653'></a> 
<a id='L654' name='L654'></a>   Just press enter on the toplevel ".." file or change to a non-tar
<a id='L655' name='L655'></a>   directory.  Just typing "cd" with no parameters is enough (it will
<a id='L656' name='L656'></a>   take you to your home directory).
<a id='L657' name='L657'></a> 
<a id='L658' name='L658'></a>7.3 How do I do anonymous ftp with MC?
<a id='L659' name='L659'></a> 
<a id='L660' name='L660'></a>   Just type "cd ftp://hostname" where hostname is the name of the host
<a id='L661' name='L661'></a>   you want to connect.  Alternatively, select FTP link from the Left or
<a id='L662' name='L662'></a>   Right menu and type the name of the host you want to connect.
<a id='L663' name='L663'></a> 
<a id='L664' name='L664'></a>7.4 How do I do non-anonymous ftp with MC?
<a id='L665' name='L665'></a> 
<a id='L666' name='L666'></a>   Non-anonymous ftp works just like the anonymous ftp but you give the
<a id='L667' name='L667'></a>   login name with the host name.  For example, type "cd
<a id='L668' name='L668'></a>   ftp://username@hostname".
<a id='L669' name='L669'></a> 
<a id='L670' name='L670'></a>7.5 How do I close an ftp connection?
<a id='L671' name='L671'></a> 
<a id='L672' name='L672'></a>   Just change to a non-ftp directory.  Simply typing "cd" with no
<a id='L673' name='L673'></a>   parameters is enough (it will take you to your home directory).
<a id='L674' name='L674'></a> 
<a id='L675' name='L675'></a>   GNU Midnight Commander closes ftp connection automatically after a
<a id='L676' name='L676'></a>   timeout or on exit.  It's possible to force disconnect by selecting
<a id='L677' name='L677'></a>   "Command" -&gt; "Active VFS List" in the menu and using the "Free VFSs
<a id='L678' name='L678'></a>   Now" button.
<a id='L679' name='L679'></a> 
<a id='L680' name='L680'></a>7.6 Why aren't the contents of ftp panel updated?
<a id='L681' name='L681'></a> 
<a id='L682' name='L682'></a>   Update is skipped because there would be a serious performance
<a id='L683' name='L683'></a>   penalty.  Constantly updating directory panels through a ftp
<a id='L684' name='L684'></a>   connection would take too much time.
<a id='L685' name='L685'></a> 
<a id='L686' name='L686'></a>   You can use C-r to force an update.
<a id='L687' name='L687'></a> 
<a id='L688' name='L688'></a>7.7 What kind of proxy server works with Midnight Commander?
<a id='L689' name='L689'></a> 
<a id='L690' name='L690'></a>   There are two kinds of ftp proxies: proxies for ftp clients and
<a id='L691' name='L691'></a>   proxies for web browsers.
<a id='L692' name='L692'></a> 
<a id='L693' name='L693'></a>   Midnight Commander only supports ftp proxies which are meant for ftp
<a id='L694' name='L694'></a>   clients.  Common WWW proxies (like Squid) are not supported.  A rule
<a id='L695' name='L695'></a>   of thumb is that if a ftp proxy requires a web browser, it won't work
<a id='L696' name='L696'></a>   with Midnight Commander.
<a id='L697' name='L697'></a> 
<a id='L698' name='L698'></a> 
<a id='L699' name='L699'></a>8 Other common problems
<a id='L700' name='L700'></a> 
<a id='L701' name='L701'></a>8.1 When I try pasting to the internal editor, it indents the amount of
<a id='L702' name='L702'></a>indenting increases with each line!
<a id='L703' name='L703'></a> 
<a id='L704' name='L704'></a>   Either turn off 'Return does autoindent' in the editor options or
<a id='L705' name='L705'></a>   update GNU Midnight Commander to version 4.6.0 or above - it doesn't
<a id='L706' name='L706'></a>   autoindent when you are holding Shift.
<a id='L707' name='L707'></a> 
<a id='L708' name='L708'></a>8.2 Is it possible to use Colorer for syntax highlighting?
<a id='L709' name='L709'></a> 
<a id='L710' name='L710'></a>   Yes if you submit the patch.  There are no legal problems with it
<a id='L711' name='L711'></a>   because it's licensed under GPL now.  The homepage of Colorer is
<a id='L712' name='L712'></a>   http://colorer.sourceforge.net/
<a id='L713' name='L713'></a> 
<a id='L714' name='L714'></a> 
<a id='L715' name='L715'></a>9 Other common problems
<a id='L716' name='L716'></a> 
<a id='L717' name='L717'></a>9.1 Is there any way to 'bookmark' favorite ftp-fs links?
<a id='L718' name='L718'></a> 
<a id='L719' name='L719'></a>   Use the directory hotlist.  Just press control-backslash.  If your
<a id='L720' name='L720'></a>   national keyboard layout doesn't have backslash key, just press the
<a id='L721' name='L721'></a>   control key with the key which is the backslash key in the English
<a id='L722' name='L722'></a>   keyboard layout.
<a id='L723' name='L723'></a> 
<a id='L724' name='L724'></a>9.2 When I start Midnight Commander, nothing happens!
<a id='L725' name='L725'></a> 
<a id='L726' name='L726'></a>   When MC is compiled with Samba support, have a look at the
<a id='L727' name='L727'></a>   "interfaces = ..." line in your smb.conf file. MC uses pretty old
<a id='L728' name='L728'></a>   Samba code that only expects IP addresses and host names there,
<a id='L729' name='L729'></a>   but not network interface names (like eth0). MC interprets these
<a id='L730' name='L730'></a>   names as host names and tries to resolve them using a DNS server.
<a id='L731' name='L731'></a>   To fix this, ask your system administrator to change the interface
<a id='L732' name='L732'></a>   names to their assigned IP addresses, or (untried) add the interface
<a id='L733' name='L733'></a>   names and their IP addresses to the /etc/hosts file.
<a id='L734' name='L734'></a> 
<a id='L735' name='L735'></a>   First, invoke MC without subshell support: "mc -u".  If this helps
<a id='L736' name='L736'></a>   check the shell you are using.  Subshell support works best with
<a id='L737' name='L737'></a>   bash, although tcsh and zsh are also supported.  You might want to
<a id='L738' name='L738'></a>   upgrade your shell to a newer version.  If you use something else
<a id='L739' name='L739'></a>   than bash, tcsh or zsh, subshell support is disabled automatically.
<a id='L740' name='L740'></a> 
<a id='L741' name='L741'></a>   Another reason is problems with gpm.  Try using "--nomouse" option to
<a id='L742' name='L742'></a>   see if it makes any difference.  Restarting gpm can help.  Sometimes
<a id='L743' name='L743'></a>   it's enough to move the mouse.
<a id='L744' name='L744'></a> 
<a id='L745' name='L745'></a>   Also, if you have the DISPLAY environment variable set, but the X
<a id='L746' name='L746'></a>   server is unreachable (e.g. it's firewalled), this can also cause a
<a id='L747' name='L747'></a>   delay at startup.  Unset DISPLAY to see if that's the case.
<a id='L748' name='L748'></a> 
<a id='L749' name='L749'></a> 
<a id='L750' name='L750'></a>10 Development
<a id='L751' name='L751'></a> 
<a id='L752' name='L752'></a>10.1 Who has written Midnight Commander?
<a id='L753' name='L753'></a> 
<a id='L754' name='L754'></a>   Midnight Commander was started by Miguel de Icaza and he is the
<a id='L755' name='L755'></a>   maintainer of the package.  Other authors have joined the project
<a id='L756' name='L756'></a>   later:
<a id='L757' name='L757'></a>     * Mauricio Plaza (early releases)
<a id='L758' name='L758'></a>     * Janne Kukonlehto (joined Sep 27 1994)
<a id='L759' name='L759'></a>     * Radek Doulik (joined Oct 30 1994)
<a id='L760' name='L760'></a>     * Fred Leeflang (joined Nov 2 1994)
<a id='L761' name='L761'></a>     * Dugan Porter (joined Dec 1 1994)
<a id='L762' name='L762'></a>     * Jakub Jelinek (joined Feb 8 1995)
<a id='L763' name='L763'></a>     * Ching Hui (joined Jun 27 1995)
<a id='L764' name='L764'></a>     * Andrej Borsenkow (joined Jul 1996)
<a id='L765' name='L765'></a>     * Paul Sheer (joined Nov 1 1996)
<a id='L766' name='L766'></a>     * Norbert Warmuth
<a id='L767' name='L767'></a>     * Alex I. Tkachenko
<a id='L768' name='L768'></a> 
<a id='L769' name='L769'></a> 
<a id='L770' name='L770'></a>   Alessandro Rubini has been specially helpful with debugging and
<a id='L771' name='L771'></a>   enhancing of the mouse support.  John E. Davis has made his S-Lang
<a id='L772' name='L772'></a>   library available to us and answered many questions about it.
<a id='L773' name='L773'></a> 
<a id='L774' name='L774'></a>   Many people have contributed bug reports, feature suggestions and
<a id='L775' name='L775'></a>   small code bits (alphabetical order):
<a id='L776' name='L776'></a>     * Thomasz Cholewo
<a id='L777' name='L777'></a>     * Juan Jose Ciarlante
<a id='L778' name='L778'></a>     * Alexander Dong (OS/2 port, NT port updates)
<a id='L779' name='L779'></a>     * Erwin van Eijk
<a id='L780' name='L780'></a>     * Torben Fjerdingstad
<a id='L781' name='L781'></a>     * Massimo Fontanelli
<a id='L782' name='L782'></a>     * Juan Grigera (NT port)
<a id='L783' name='L783'></a>     * Gerd Knorr
<a id='L784' name='L784'></a>     * Sergey Ya. Korshunoff
<a id='L785' name='L785'></a>     * Jean-Daniel Luiset
<a id='L786' name='L786'></a>     * Wim Osterholt
<a id='L787' name='L787'></a>     * Antonio Palama (old DOS port)
<a id='L788' name='L788'></a>     * Thomas Pundt
<a id='L789' name='L789'></a>     * Marcelo Roccasalva
<a id='L790' name='L790'></a>     * Ilya Rybkin
<a id='L791' name='L791'></a>     * Vadim Sinolits
<a id='L792' name='L792'></a>     * Jon Stevens
<a id='L793' name='L793'></a>     * Adam Tla/lka
<a id='L794' name='L794'></a> 
<a id='L795' name='L795'></a>   Current list of active developers can be found here:
<a id='L796' name='L796'></a>   http://www.midnight-commander.org/wiki/McDevelopers
<a id='L797' name='L797'></a> 
<a id='L798' name='L798'></a>   This page lists everbody who has provided a patch or
<a id='L799' name='L799'></a>   has written code for the Midnight Commander in the past:
<a id='L800' name='L800'></a>   http://www.midnight-commander.org/wiki/McContributors
<a id='L801' name='L801'></a> 
<a id='L802' name='L802'></a>10.2 Do I dare to use a development version?
<a id='L803' name='L803'></a> 
<a id='L804' name='L804'></a>   Yes, of course. Feel free to test:
<a id='L805' name='L805'></a>   http://www.midnight-commander.org/wiki#Download
<a id='L806' name='L806'></a>   As we do our development in git, please do a git checkout
<a id='L807' name='L807'></a>   of the master branch and build it
<a id='L808' name='L808'></a> 
<a id='L809' name='L809'></a>   But always remember: development versions may have nasty bugs
<a id='L810' name='L810'></a>   at some points of time.  It's up to you to judge whether the new
<a id='L811' name='L811'></a>   features and fixes for the bugs you know outweigh the risk of unknown
<a id='L812' name='L812'></a>   bugs.
<a id='L813' name='L813'></a> 
<a id='L814' name='L814'></a>10.3 How can I report a bug/request for a feature?
<a id='L815' name='L815'></a> 
<a id='L816' name='L816'></a>   You might first want to get the newest development version to see if
<a id='L817' name='L817'></a>   the bug is fixed or the feature is added already.
<a id='L818' name='L818'></a> 
<a id='L819' name='L819'></a>   If this is not the case, feel free to add a ticket in our ticket system,
<a id='L820' name='L820'></a>   which is located here: http://www.midnight-commander.org/newticket
<a id='L821' name='L821'></a> 
<a id='L822' name='L822'></a>   If you want to send an email instead write your report to mc-devel@gnome.org 
<a id='L823' name='L823'></a>   or mc@gnome.org.
<a id='L824' name='L824'></a> 
<a id='L825' name='L825'></a>   These mailing lists are the most certain way to contact the
<a id='L826' name='L826'></a>   developers.  Remember to mention if you are not on the mailing list
<a id='L827' name='L827'></a>   to make sure that you will receive a copy of replies.
<a id='L828' name='L828'></a> 
<a id='L829' name='L829'></a>   Give as much details as possible.  A too long message is a lot better
<a id='L830' name='L830'></a>   than a too short message.
<a id='L831' name='L831'></a> 
<a id='L832' name='L832'></a>   For segmentation faults a stack backtrace is appreciated.  You can
<a id='L833' name='L833'></a>   produce stack backtrace as follows:
<a id='L834' name='L834'></a>     * If segmentation fault produced a core file:
<a id='L835' name='L835'></a>         1. Load the core file by typing "gdb mc core" or "dbx mc core".
<a id='L836' name='L836'></a>         2. Type "where".
<a id='L837' name='L837'></a>         3. Cut and paste the results to your message.
<a id='L838' name='L838'></a>     * If segmentation fault didn't produce a core file:
<a id='L839' name='L839'></a>         1. Load mc by typing "gdb mc" or "dbx mc".
<a id='L840' name='L840'></a>         2. Start mc by typing "run".
<a id='L841' name='L841'></a>         3. Try to reproduce the segmentation fault by doing whatever
<a id='L842' name='L842'></a>            you did last time when the segmentation fault occurred.
<a id='L843' name='L843'></a>         4. Type "where".
<a id='L844' name='L844'></a>         5. Cut and paste the results to your message.
<a id='L845' name='L845'></a>         6. For the future you might want to check out what is the
<a id='L846' name='L846'></a>            command in your shell to allow producing of the core files.
<a id='L847' name='L847'></a>            Usually it is "limit coredumpsize unlimited" or "ulimit
<a id='L848' name='L848'></a>            coredumpsize" or "ulimit -c unlimited".
<a id='L849' name='L849'></a> 
<a id='L850' name='L850'></a>10.4 How can I join the development?
<a id='L851' name='L851'></a> 
<a id='L852' name='L852'></a>   To join the development just code the feature you want to add and
<a id='L853' name='L853'></a>   send your patch for inclusion.  Email address is mc-devel@gnome.org.
<a id='L854' name='L854'></a>   Before you start coding check the latest development version.  It
<a id='L855' name='L855'></a>   might be that your feature has already been implemented.
<a id='L856' name='L856'></a> 
<a id='L857' name='L857'></a>   Note that the authors of GNU Midnight Commander have given all their
<a id='L858' name='L858'></a>   rights on the program to the Free Software Foundation.  You will have
<a id='L859' name='L859'></a>   to do the same if you contribute non-trivial patches.  Otherwise we
<a id='L860' name='L860'></a>   have to reject your patches in order to avoid copyright problems.
<a id='L861' name='L861'></a> 
<a id='L862' name='L862'></a> 
<a id='L863' name='L863'></a>11 More information
<a id='L864' name='L864'></a> 
<a id='L865' name='L865'></a>11.1 This document didn't answer my question.  Where else can I look for
<a id='L866' name='L866'></a>an answer?
<a id='L867' name='L867'></a> 
<a id='L868' name='L868'></a>   Read messages from the Discussion (mailing list archive) or read the
<a id='L869' name='L869'></a>   Manual.
<a id='L870' name='L870'></a> 
<a id='L871' name='L871'></a>   Upgrade to a newer version of Midnight Commander.  Many problems are
<a id='L872' name='L872'></a>   fixed in the new versions.
<a id='L873' name='L873'></a> 
<a id='L874' name='L874'></a>   If you still can't find an answer, post your question to the Midnight
<a id='L875' name='L875'></a>   Commander mailing list.  Its address is mc@gnome.org.
<a id='L876' name='L876'></a> 
<a id='L877' name='L877'></a>11.2 What mailing lists are there for Midnight Commander?
<a id='L878' name='L878'></a> 
<a id='L879' name='L879'></a>   Following mailing lists discuss about Midnight Commander:
<a id='L880' name='L880'></a> 
<a id='L881' name='L881'></a>   mc@gnome.org
<a id='L882' name='L882'></a>          General discussion of GNU Midnight Commander
<a id='L883' name='L883'></a>          To subscribe visit
<a id='L884' name='L884'></a>          http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/mc/
<a id='L885' name='L885'></a> 
<a id='L886' name='L886'></a>   mc-devel@gnome.org
<a id='L887' name='L887'></a>          Technical development discussion
<a id='L888' name='L888'></a>          To subscribe visit
<a id='L889' name='L889'></a>          http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/mc-devel/
<a id='L890' name='L890'></a> 
<a id='L891' name='L891'></a>   mc-commits@googlegroups.com
<a id='L892' name='L892'></a>          mailing list only for applyed commits into master/stable branches
<a id='L893' name='L893'></a>          To subscribe visit
<a id='L894' name='L894'></a>          http://groups.google.com/group/mc-commits/subscribe
<a id='L895' name='L895'></a> 
<a id='L896' name='L896'></a>   mc-bugs@googlegroups.com
<a id='L897' name='L897'></a>          Mailing list only for tickets and comments (use it as RSS :) )
<a id='L898' name='L898'></a>          To subscribe visit
<a id='L899' name='L899'></a>          http://groups.google.com/group/mc-bugs/subscribe
<a id='L900' name='L900'></a> 
<a id='L901' name='L901'></a>11.3 Where should I look on the World Wide Web for MC stuff?
<a id='L902' name='L902'></a> 
<a id='L903' name='L903'></a>   There is a WWW page for Midnight Commander.  The URL is:
<a id='L904' name='L904'></a> 
<a id='L905' name='L905'></a>     http://www.midnight-commander.org/
<a id='L906' name='L906'></a> 
<a id='L907' name='L907'></a>11.4 Are the mailing lists archived anywhere?
<a id='L908' name='L908'></a> 
<a id='L909' name='L909'></a>   The mc and mc-devel lists are archived on the World Wide Web.  There
<a id='L910' name='L910'></a>   are links to the archives on the mailing list pages (see 10.2).
<a id='L911' name='L911'></a> 
<a id='L912' name='L912'></a> 
<a id='L913' name='L913'></a>12 Legal issues
<a id='L914' name='L914'></a> 
<a id='L915' name='L915'></a>12.1 Authorship
<a id='L916' name='L916'></a> 
<a id='L917' name='L917'></a>   Questions and Answers was written by Janne Kukonlehto.  Parts of it
<a id='L918' name='L918'></a>   originate from Ian Jackson, Miguel de Icaza, Dugan Porter, Norbert
<a id='L919' name='L919'></a>   Warmuth and Paul Sheer.
<a id='L920' name='L920'></a> 
<a id='L921' name='L921'></a>12.2 Feedback is invited
<a id='L922' name='L922'></a> 
<a id='L923' name='L923'></a>   Send your comments about this document and GNU Midnight Commander to
<a id='L924' name='L924'></a>   mc@gnome.org
<a id='L925' name='L925'></a> 
<a id='L926' name='L926'></a>12.3 Disclaimer and copyright
<a id='L927' name='L927'></a> 
<a id='L928' name='L928'></a>   Note that this document is provided as is.  The information in it is
<a id='L929' name='L929'></a>   not warranted to be correct; you use it at your own risk.
<a id='L930' name='L930'></a> 
<a id='L931' name='L931'></a>   You can use Questions and Answers according to GNU General Public
<a id='L932' name='L932'></a>   License (see the COPYING file in GNU Midnight Commander source
<a id='L933' name='L933'></a>   distribution).  Questions and Answers is not public domain.
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